1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to protective or safety eyewear and more particularly to a goggle having interchangeable baffles for use with a variety of applications.
2. Background of the Related Art
Protective goggles come in a variety of configurations, but all goggles are designed to protect the wearer's eyes from foreign substances, debris, and impacts to varying degrees. Depending on the activity that the wearer is engaging in, the goggles are designed with different features. Some have a unitary lens; others have two lenses. Some have a soft rubber or plastic frame; others have a rigid frame. And yet others are designed to form a tight seal around the wearer's face to guard against splashes from dangerous or caustic liquids.
All goggles to some degree suffer from fogging of the lens or lenses due to the perspiration and warmth emanating from the wearer's face. To solve this problem, manufacturers of goggles have included vents in the goggle frame to allow moisture and heat to escape from the interior of the goggle.
However, the addition of vents is not without its drawbacks. Adding a vent necessarily means that a hole is made in the goggle frame, which can allow foreign substances, such as dust and liquids, to enter the interior of the goggle and thereby diminish the protective quality of the goggle.
To solve this problem, manufacturers of goggles have designed a variety of vent structures to prevent the incursion of foreign substances into the interior of the goggle, yet maximize airflow to prevent fogging and sweating of the lens. There are goggles designed for use in dusty environments, there are goggles designed for use when using hazardous liquids, and there are goggles that are designed for use when dealing with larger solids. Each type of goggle is designed with differently shaped vents (or no vents at all) to prevent the hazardous debris from entering the goggle, yet maintain airflow through the goggle. Some use filters; some use baffled vents; and others use covered vents. As a result, there has been an explosion in the number of goggles that are available for the end-user consumer to purchase and maintain. Therefore, there is a perceived need in the industry for a goggle that has modifiable vents for use in accordance with the underlying hazard of the activity to be engaged in.